Alterac Navy
Although to some it may sound like an oxymoron, the Alterac Navy was a source of pride among the few sea-faring citizens of Alterac. Modern borders have made Alterac a landlocked nation, in centuries past it once held ocean coastline in Hillsbrad with numerous port towns. While never coming close to the prestige & military capacity of nations such as Kul Tiras or Stormwind, the Alterac Navy helped spread Alterac's influence throughout the Eastern Kingdoms regardless. History Historical Navy Prior to loss of land to other Kingdoms (namely, Lordaeron), coastline in the Hillsbrad Foothills was once under Alterac's control with ports waving Alterac's flag high above their docks. These few ports linked Alterac to the wider world with the help of a fleet of licensed merchant vessels & military ships (primarily corvettes and frigates), along with smaller fishing vessels and private ships owned by nobility. Although not a strong naval power militarily, the ships were a source of income that benefited the nation with food & more exotic goods with the frigates providing protection from pirates and, when needed, other navies. Because of the size and amount of ships available, all ships bearing the flag of Alterac were lawfully considered part of the Alterac Navy, regardless of military capacity. This was primarily to streamline coordination efforts between military vessels, which protected the merchant ships, and the merchant vessels, which ferried cargo to or from Alterac. Ships for both mercantile & military efforts were designed primarily to outrun larger enemy navies. While armed enough for small skirmishes with pirates, the convoys the Navy often sailed in were generally outmatched to larger, more equipped navies with more readily available manpower. The tactic & style of avoiding combat gave the Alterac Navy the moniker The Retreat Fleet. Battles were considered too costly and cargo too precious to risk in a battle of pride that would turn into an inevitable loss if the skirmish became a prolonged engagement. At any one time, there were rarely more than two Admirals in service to Alterac. These Admirals were primarily responsible for handling the protection of the mercantile vessels with the Navy's available ships and were more often seen in the court of the House of Perenolde than on the decks of the ships they commanded, conferring with and reporting directly to the King. Historically speaking, there have been no 'High Admirals' or 'Grand Admirals' of the Alterac Navy. Several small ports (mostly along the southeastern coastline along the unexplored shores near the Swamp of Sorrows and other isolated islands) belonging to Alterac existed and prospered for some time under the nation's rule. Although the loss of all Alterac-owned ports in Hillsbrad over time diminished profits to a degree, arrangements and treaties with the Kingdom of Lordaeron allowed the Alterac Navy and these distant port-towns to continue operating & the Alterac flag was still a common sight among harbors up until the Second War. The Second War & Aftermath The Betrayal of Perenolde, much like it cost the nation of Alterac its livelihood, cost the Alterac Navy its existence. The War itself had taken a toll on its shipping capabilities thanks to Horde naval attacks & conquests of the remote ports, the Alliance's branding of Alterac as traitors meant merchants under the Alterac flag could not sell or unload their goods. Without a home to return to and without a friendly harbor to land in so long as they held the flag of Alterac, nearly every vessel in the Alterac Navy discarded its allegiance to Alterac & burned their flags. Some joined with other Kingdom's navies while others became privateers or pirates. *The most infamous Alteraci ship that turned to piracy was The Pumpkin's Folly, owned & captained by a chubby nobleman named Edgar Garvonn. Known as the first and for many years the only sea-faring vessel of the Syndicate, The Pumpkin's Folly was a menace among Kul Tiran ships until well after the Third War, when it suddenly disappeared off the coast of Tirisfal. Edgar Garvonn was later seen alive and working with his Syndicate compatriots on the shores of Lordamere Lake, apparently attempting to build a Syndicate naval force on the waters of Lordamere. Modern Era Despite inroads made to reclaim Alterac's mainland by citizens, the Alterac Navy has yet to be officially restored. Although some vessels are owned by Alteraci abroad, both nobility & citizen, there is no naval command structure currently in place (at least none that have gained widespread notoriety) and no Admirals have been appointed by any existing Alteraci political or military force. Fleet Bases and Ports * Dandred's Anchorage, Misty Shore - Headquarters * Southshore, Hillsbrad Foothills (Formerly, lost to Lordaeron) * Perenolde's Landing, Swamp of Sorrows (Formerly, destroyed) Ship Classes Decommissioned Ship Classes ''Thondroril''-class Frigate Harking back to the days of Alterac ports in Hillsbrad, the Thondroril-class Frigate was based on Gilnean ship designs due to their tendency to build slender and faster ships, which was an asset the Alterac Navy used to outfox or outrun enemy vessels when faced with combat on the seas. The Thondroril-class typically served as escorts for merchant vessels. ''Talon''-class Transport The Talon-class was the primary transport and merchant vessel of the Alterac Navy. Often accused of being a watered down version of the Lordaeronian Dalia-class, the Talon-class was made to store large amounts of cargo at the expense of defenses, thus requiring escorts to protect it from pirates and foreign fleets. Command Structure and Ranks Due to the small size of the Alterac Navy even at its height, the command structure was slightly more condensed than those of the nations that weren't land-locked and fielded significantly larger navies. Admiralty * Admiral - The highest rank of the Alterac Navy, there were rarely more than two Admirals in service at one time. The Admirals of the Alteraci Navy coordinated together along with the King in order to run the navy. * Vice Admiral - In addition to the same responsibilities as Rear Admrals, Vice Admirals were typically responsible for running shore establishments and the Royal Naval Academy of Alterac. If the Admirals of the Alterac Navy were otherwise indisposed, the Vice Admiral could take command of the navy. * Rear Admiral - The junior-most admiralty rank, Rear Admirals were typically experienced officers who were in command of multiple ships and were responsible for the leadership and management of the navy. Senior Officers * Captain - Captain was the senior-most naval officer, typically commanding important frigates or other vessels of note, but it wasn't uncommon for them to take command of more ordinary vessels. * Commander - Commanders were typically commanders of ordinary corvettes and frigates. * Lieutenant Commander - The lowest of the senior officer ranks, Lieutenant Commanders served as the commanding officers of some of smaller trading vessels and as executive officers on larger vessels under Commanders. Junior Officers * Lieutenant - Lieutenant was the most senior of the junior officer ranks in the Alterac Navy. Lieutenants served as executive officers of ships under the command of a Captain. * Ensign - Ensign was a commissioned officer rank in the Alterac Navy that usually held small command positions such as boarding parties and Officers of the Watch. * Midshipman - The lowest officer rank in the Alterac Navy, Midshipmen were officers in training, typically graduates of the Royal Naval Academy of Alterac. Petty Officers * Chief Petty Officer - The Chief Petty Officer was the highest non-commissioned officer rank and represented sailor affairs, concerns and anything else relating to sailors, and worked closely with both the ship's commanding officer and its crew. * Petty Officer - Petty Officer was a non-commissioned officer notable as being the senior personnel aboard most ships. They typically served as specialists aboard their ship, such as communications, gunnery, armoring, medical care and arcane technician. * Junior Petty Officer - The lowest of the non-commissioned officer ranks, Junior Petty Officer was a junior non-commissioned officer rank typically regarded as leaders of sailors. They were usually senior sailors who specialized in a particular field, and were senior sailors in a particular rating or specialization. Ratings * Leading Seaman - Leading Seaman was the most senior of the seaman ratings in the Alterac Navy. * Able Seaman - A junior sailor rank of the Alterac Navy, Able Seamen were seen as veteran seaman and were typically assigned roles such as helmsman or watchstander. * Seaman - One of the lowest ranks of the Alterac Navy, Seaman was found just above Recruit. Seamen were sailors who had a basic understanding of seamanship and were amongst the most junior aboard a ship. * Recruit - Newly enlisted sailors, Recruit was the lowest rank of the Alteraci Navy. Recruits were sailors who were still in training, and as such they were typically assigned basic seamanship duties. Fleets of the Navy Lordamere Fleet * Last Known Leader: Admiral Constance Grenn * Size: 6 ships * Homeport: Dandred's Anchorage * Status: Inactive. The Lordamere Fleet refers to the small fleet that operated in Lordamere Lake, watching over the Misty Shore. Though small in size, it was one of the more battle-worthy fleets of the navy due to the lake being open for attack from both the Kingdom of Lordaeron and the Kingdom of Gilneas. The Lordamere Fleet was last commanded by Admiral Constance Grenn. Admiral Grenn surrendered her fleet to Lordaeronian and Stromic forces shortly after the fall of Alterac. Hillsbrad Fleet * Last Known Leader: Rear Admiral Aurelius Holden * Size: 10 ships * Homeport: Southshore * Status: Destroyed. The Hillsbrad Fleet refers to the fleet that formerly sailed out of harbors along the coast of Hillsbrad. Even after the region was claimed by Lordaeron, accords stuck with the kingdom allowed the Alterac Navy to continue using the ports for merchant vessels until the navy's dissolution following the Second War. The last leader of the Hillsbrad Fleet was Rear Admiral Aurelius Holden. Rear Admiral Holden and several of his officers went missing after the fall of Alterac, and they were presumed to have scuttled their ships and joined the Syndicate. Fleet of Sorrows * Last Known Leader: Vice Admiral Oliver Corbeen * Size: 10 ships * Homeport: Perenolde's Landing * Status: Inactive. The Fleet of Sorrows refers to the ships that used to be based in the port of Perenolde's Landing in the Swamp of Sorrows. Mostly a merchant fleet, it traded primarily with the southern Kingdom of Azeroth. The last leader of the Fleet of Sorrows was Vice Admiral Oliver Corbeen, who died early during the Second War during a battle at sea with the Orcish Armada. Perenolde's Landing was razed during the orcs' invasion, and following the Cataclysm the Steamwheedle Cartel port of Bogpaddle was built in its place. Known Alteraci Naval Personnel Category:Kingdom of Alterac Category:Military Organizations Category:Alterac Organizations Category:Naval Fleets Category:Alterac Navy Category:Disbanded Organizations